July 24, 2013

L'Oréal Infallible Super Slim 12H Eyeliner (Review and Swatches)

My mom always laughed when I told her long it took me to do a winged eyeliner that I was happy with. Back in her day, apparently, they did it in 2 seconds flat. One perfect, free-handed woosh for that exquisitely done 60s cat eye.

This is a nice, saturated, boot-polish black that doesn't require multiple passes to achieve opacity. It's not glossy or matte, looking like a cross between traditional liquid and gel liner. The tip is not the narrowest I've seen, but the 0.4 mm width gives a great level of control for fine-tuning the flick, and the full saturation along the entire length of the felt means that it's easy to thicken up the line.

The slightly curved and textured portion of the pen rests comfortably and solidly between your fingers, so it makes the lining process that much smoother.

Doing a wing with this guy is a snap. All I need to do is figure out where I wanted my end point, align the pen with the angle of my lower lashine at the outer corner of my eye, and then press down and sweep the pen lightly inwards. The fine point and saturated felt-tip do all the heavy lifting. Then it's just a matter of lining the rest of the eye and filling in the shape.

The picture below is from when I was testing it out the first time, and just wanted to do a quick line to see how it applied. (Hence the otherwise bare face and OMGHEATWAVE pigtails.)

In terms of wear, it did have a couple of issues. Overall, it wore on my right eye for close to 10 hours with no problems, showing a bit of breakdown at the bend of the flick after that. That's still pretty awesome, however, as my crease shape causes most gel or liquid liners to wear down in that spot.

On my left eye, I noticed smudging on the corners from where my eye watered from a stray lash, and some smudging of the flick where I rubbed it. So all things being equal it is long-wearing, but not water-resistant or smudge-proof. That's something to bear in mind if you have watery or oily eyelids, or wear contacts. I would personally love a waterproof version of this, because the application really is excellent.

Availability: At most drugstores, including Jean Coutu and Pharmaprix/SDM. Prices vary, but 10.99$ CAD is about average. It's 8.99$ USD at Ulta.

Pros: Incredibly easy to use, comfortable grip. Saturated black, with a finish balanced between glossy and matte. Fine tip makes it easy to get a precise point, but the felt-tip makes filling in a thinker line just as simple. Lasts most of the day without breaking down or fading.

Cons: Not as infallible as you might like, as it can smudge with moisture or pressure.

(This item was sent to me by the brand to consider for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)